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EU Presidency:
Belgium sets its sights low

30 June 2010

Presseurop

Presseurop

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Belgium is to take over the rotating EU presidency from Spain on 1 July. In the meantime, however, Belgian political leaders are immersed in tricky negotiations to form a new government after the 13 June elections, so the incumbent executive, headed by Yves Leterme, has confined itself to providing essential services. It’s hard to be ambitious under the circumstances, which is why, remarks Le Soir, the Belgian presidency will “basically be taking care of day-to-day business” and “won’t be aiming high”. In fact, its chief political priority "will consist in making room for Herman Van Rompuy, European Council president, and Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs, to flesh out their new posts in full” as provided for in the Lisbon Treaty.

According to the Belgian daily, however, this tack is “fraught with perils” because the heads of state and government (brought together in the Council) have a marked tendency to encroach on the European Commission’s remit. "In the past, Belgium has faithfully adhered to its tradition of eschewing the ‘intergovernmental’ approach and defending the ‘Community method’,” points out Le Soir, though recent months have seen “a slight falling-off, albeit nothing drastic as yet. But Belgium will have to be very wary in this regard if it is to defend an ambitious European project, and that vigilance will be a yardstick of the Belgian presidency’s performance.”